episode_0048

Silence filled the study.

Pouring sound—.

Red wine filled a transparent glass.

Rachel gazed at her father sitting across from her.

“What could it be?”

It wasn’t like her father to call for wine at such a late hour. Their relationship wasn’t particularly strained, but they weren’t close enough to enjoy drinks together alone. So, it must be something important.

Her father’s expression reinforced this thought. His seriousness felt quite grave.

But what could he possibly want to discuss? She couldn’t begin to guess.

“Have you already heard about what happened at the social gathering?”

Perhaps he had caught wind of Luna causing trouble with the prince. However, she soon leaned towards denying that notion. The social gathering hadn’t ended yet, and besides, she hadn’t directly caused any trouble herself.

So, what was he trying to say?

As these thoughts swirled in Rachel’s mind, her father swirled his wine glass in circles before bringing it to his lips.

Clank—.

The sound of the glass being placed back on the table echoed loudly in the stillness.

“Rachel.”

A weighty and solemn voice.

Yet, unlike usual, it carried a softness tinged with sadness.

“Do you resent Luna a lot?”

“Well, of course….”

Of course, she resented her.

Just as Rachel was about to give this response, she hesitated.

She knew there was no reason to resent Luna; she hadn’t done anything wrong.

“I… I don’t know.”

Perhaps it was the atmosphere. For the first time, she could express her true feelings.

Immediately after, a deep sigh escaped her, but that was due to her own frustration.

Gulp-gulp—.

To soothe such emotions, she drank her wine. It was an act unbecoming of nobility, but she didn’t have the luxury to worry about such things. This, too, was perhaps due to the atmosphere.

Setting down the empty wine glass, Rachel continued.

“Even so, I don’t exactly like it.”

Separate from personal feelings, there was no denying that Luna was the flaw in the Iris Duke’s reputation as a nobleman.

The nobility must always be perfect. A duke who supports the emperor directly is even more so. They must never give the empire’s people cause for doubt and must always set an example and lead by good conduct. In that regard, Luna is a flaw in and of herself. Of course, she has done no wrong, she was simply born that way. However, what can be done? Water may be thicker than blood, but even that blood is nothing more than mere ink in the face of the family’s honor.

Upon hearing Rachel’s response, her father briefly smiled bitterly before gulping down his wine.

“Rachel, the judgment is up to you. After all, you are the one who will lead this family after me.”

A moment of silence. Rachel couldn’t respond, but the head of the family began to speak.

A very ancient story.

* * * * *

Waaah!

The loud cry of a newborn echoed through the grand castle. Upon hearing the sound, Duke Iris let out a sigh of relief. The sound of the baby’s cry meant that the child had been safely born.

However, she couldn’t completely relax. It was natural for Lady Dana Iris, the mother, to worry as she hadn’t been healthy since birth, let alone during childbirth.

“My lady, everything will be fine,” the steward finally threw in his words as he watched the duchess pacing back and forth. He thought worries about a wife were no different for a noble or a commoner.

“Yes, I suppose so.”

Her health might not have been good, but her determination was stronger than anyone else’s. Despite opposition from the family, she had married against their wishes. However, her mind didn’t quiet so easily, and she continued to move restlessly.

It was after enduring the desire for Dekaron to burst into the room hundreds of times that the door finally opened with a click. The midwife who had assisted in the birth came out.

Dekaron approached him and grabbed his shoulders, asking, “What happened? Is Dana and the baby both safe?”

“The child and the mother are both safe.”

“That’s a relief….”

Dekaron, whose heart had been filled with anxiety, breathed a sigh of relief and bowed deeply. It was an action unbecoming of a nobleman, but he had no room to be concerned about such things.

“It’s okay for you to come in for a moment…”

“Is it really okay?!”

“Yes, the treatment is already finished, and she’s recovering, so it’s fine.”

Following the therapist’s suggestion, Dekaron went inside.

There, he faced the little troublemaker who had tormented his beloved wife, Dana, and their unborn child for quite some time.

“Honey, look at Rachel. She’s so beautiful, isn’t she…?”

Dana was lying on the bed, holding Rachel in her arms.

Thankfully, their child had safely entered the world from her weak body, still unable to open her eyes properly.

Someone had said that having a child wouldn’t hurt, but he was experiencing the reality of those words.

For this child, he would sacrifice anything, even his life.

“It’s truly hard to believe that this child was growing inside you, despite it being a natural thing.”

“I feel the same way.”

Dekaron gazed at Rachel nestled in Dana’s arms. He had thought that he wouldn’t be particularly fond of her appearance, but it turned out not to be the case.

“She’s our daughter.”

He didn’t know who she would become, but if there was a man who made Rachel cry, he wouldn’t stand idly by.

He was already becoming a doting father.

“May you grow up happily all your life.”

“You should be happy all your life too.”

At Dekaron’s words, Dana burst into laughter.

Perhaps it was because of the birth of the child, but he, who had been very shy, became more honest, and it was so endearing.

“You made me this way.”

“Just trust me.”

He would strive for Dana and Rachel to be happy throughout their lives.

Dekaron thought that would be enough. Having wealth and honor in abundance, he believed there would be no more unhappiness in the future.

Five years passed like this.

Rachel, who had just started turning over on her own, was now walking and learning to speak.

She was so healthy that it was hard to believe she was born from a mother who had been unwell.

“Mom! Look! Flower!”

“Yep, that’s a flower.”

“This is a rock!”

“Yes, it’s a rock. Rachel, you take after your dad and are smart, huh?”

At the mention of resembling her dad, Rachel gasped and looked around.

Then she approached Dana and spoke in a low voice.

“No, I take after mom. Dad is scary.”

“Who said that?”

Dekaron, who had been sneaking up to surprise Rachel, was taken aback by her words. Of course, it was a playful act, but young Rachel couldn’t have known that.

“Huh?!”

Rachel looked back and then, startled, ran behind Dana.

She peeked out and looked at her father.

‘Scary….’

The imposing figure of a father was terrifying to a young child.

“Honey, am I really that scary?”

“To kids, you seem that way. But to me, you just look cool.”

“Well… okay then.”

Dekaron scratched his head awkwardly.

“Rachel, you shouldn’t say that you’re scared of your dad, right?”

“But… yeah. You’re always scolding me.”

“That’s just my way of wishing you well.”

“Yeah….”

The three spent a pleasant time in the garden. They enjoyed a simple snack, laughed when Rachel chased away bees, and had a good time.

Then came the night.

While Dana put Rachel to bed, Dekaron briefly returned to the study and found a strange note on the table.

“It’s time to fulfill the promise.”

What promise could this be referring to?

Before that, who could have left this note here?

Since Rachel was born, security had been tightened even more. All the staff at the mansion were carefully vetted.

Since that day, Dekaron had rechecked everything.

From the security personnel to the staff, everyone.

However, there was obviously no one who had left such a note, and no one had seen anyone enter the study.

Then one day,

Dekaron found a strange book in a corner of the study.

It was a book with no title, giving off an inexplicably ominous feeling.

He brushed off the dust and sat down in the study to start reading it.

The book was a diary. Presumed to be the diary of the first host.

There were many things written in it, but one sentence stood out the most.

“I made a deal with the devil.”